1. Field
This disclosure relates to image compression and decompression and, more particularly, to compressing and decompressing a color image.
2. Background Information
In a variety of situations, having the capability to compress an image is desirable. For example, when transmitting an image over a limited bandwidth communications channel or when storing an image for later retrieval. Likewise, it is desirable to have the capability to compress a color image in this fashion. Although several techniques for the compression of images, including color images, are known, it is desirable to continue to develop processes for compressing images that improve the quality of the reconstructed image and/or improve the efficiency of the compression employed.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a method of compressing a color image includes the following. The wavelet transform of each of the respective color planes of the color image is computed. One of the respective wavelet transformed color plane frames is encoded. For the other two respective wavelet transformed color plane frames, a prediction coefficient from at least one of subbands of each color plane thereof is computed.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, a method of decompressing a compressed color image includes the following. The compressed color image includes at least an encoded frame for one color plane of the color image and prediction coefficients for the other two color plane frames of the color image. The one color plane frame of the color image is reconstructed from the encoded frame. The other two color plane frames of the color image are at least partially reconstructed from the reconstructed one color plane frame and the prediction coefficients.